Document FR-A-2 281 833, in particular, discloses a method of coating articles, which method consists in depositing, on a vessel filled with water, a transfer sheet of water-soluble material carrying decoration made using inks for transfer onto the articles, in immersing the articles in the liquid after the transfer sheet has softened, in rinsing the articles to eliminate the residue of the transfer sheet, and, where appropriate, in subjecting the articles to a rise in temperature in order to cause the decoration that was transferred while the articles were immersed in the liquid to become fixed permanently on the articles.
That method raises problems when the coating presents low adhesion relative to the article, for example for an enamel coating on a porcelain article. Enamel does not adhere sufficiently to porcelain, and as a result during rinsing of the solution, the enamel is eliminated together with the transfer sheet, even when using an adhesion promoter.
Document FR-A-2 808 723 also discloses a method of enameling articles, which method consists initially in making the articles in a first mold, then in transferring the articles into a second mold after spraying enamel into the second mold. The method of making the decoration by spraying directly into the mold does not enable accurate decoration to be made suitable for application to skew surfaces of complex shape.
Documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,522 and GB-A-2 357 088 disclose methods of transferring enamel, which methods consist in initially spraying a water-soluble detachment layer onto a support film and then in printing enamel decoration so as to form a flexible film on the detachment layer. In use, the assembly is soaked in water in order to soften the attachment layer, and the enamel decoration is slid from the support sheet onto the article to be decorated like a decal, with the residue of the detachment layer coming into contact with the outside surface of the article and serving as adhesive for fixing the decoration on the article before firing the enamel. In order to be capable of being slid from the support film onto the article to be decorated, the decorative layer must have thickness suitable for constituting a film that remains sufficiently strong during transfer, and as a result this decorative layer has sufficient flexibility to be able to take up the shape of a surface that is curved slightly, but not sufficient flexibility to be capable of matching skew surfaces of complex shapes.